Acute Myeloid Leukemia

This is an example of a rare form of acute myeloid leukemia with megakaryocytic differentiation (AML-M7) that is involving the liver. The malignant blasts are the intermediate size cells in the the vascular space (clear area).

Photo by SCCA Department of Pathology

Bone marrow transplantation has been a treatment option for various forms of leukemia for decades. Fred Hutch scientists are committed to making current leukemia treatments less toxic and more widely available, while pursuing a new generation of powerful therapies that could have fewer side effects than today's treatments.

Fred Hutch researchers have discovered new ways to empower a patient’s own immune system to do what it does naturally — fight disease — with far fewer side effects than conventional cancer treatments.

Fred Hutch’s Dr. Stan Riddell and colleagues are making significant strides in this exciting field, and continue to refine ways to use the human immune system to overcome cancer and other diseases.

Sometimes AML leads to a build up of abnormal red blood cells or platelets, leaving less room for healthy white blood cells. This can lead to infection, anemia, or easy bleeding. The leukemia cells can spread to many body parts, including the brain, skin and gums.

Treatment & Prognosis

Pioneering bone marrow transplants – Led by Nobel Prize recipient Dr. E. Donnall Thomas, Fred Hutch researchers have transformed bone marrow transplantation into standard treatment for AML and other blood cancers. The procedure, as well as its sister treatment stem cell transplantation, is widely recognized as one of the greatest achievements in cancer treatment and has saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Learn more >

Developing new therapies for older adults – Our researchers were the first to successfully combine low-intensity chemotherapy, targeted radiation and stem cell transplants to successfully treat adult AML. The treatment is an improvement over high-dose radiation, which causes significant transplant-related deaths among older-adult AML patients. Learn more >

Taking a new approach to stem cell transplants – Hutch experts have developed an innovative approach to stem cell transplantation known as the non-myeloablative or "mini" stem cell transplant. This treatment involves minimal doses of radiation, making it a viable procedure for AML patients who cannot withstand the rigors of a conventional transplant. Studies show mini-transplant recipients are as likely to survive their cancers as full stem cell transplant recipients. Learn more >

Using the immune system to fight leukemia – Our researchers are investigating how the body’s own infection-fighting T-cells can be used to combat a variety of cancers. The approach, called immunotherapy, holds promise for treating several types of cancer, including chemotherapy-resistant ALL in children. Read more >

Understanding AML in children - Dr. Soheil Meschinchi is working to figure out what makes pediatric AML tick to guide the development of better treatments that target the unique causes of the disease in children ― but that also have less of an impact on the child’s growing body and the rest of their life. Learn more >

Using genetics to understand AML – Our researchers are studying genetic mutations that can help predict response to AML therapy. Large cooperative studies, run through the Radich Lab, are looking to identify markers of resistance to help understand why patients do not respond to therapy, or respond but later relapse.Another study will investigate "clonal evolution" i.e. how some small clones of AML escape death from therapy and then expand to cause disease relapse.

Improving Survival

Immunotherapy shows promise in preventing relapse - For patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia, relapse after bone marrow transplant signals a low chance of survival. But results from a small trial of genetically engineered immune cells show promise for keeping these patients out of danger. Learn more >

Dr. Aude Chapuis is an immunotherapy researcher at Fred Hutch. She is exploring new targets and crafting T-cell receptors.